Demography India Vol. 43, No. 1&2 (2014), pp. 95-113 Aparna Mukherjee*, Sulabha Parasuraman**, T. V. Sekher*** and Raj Kumar Verma**** How Often and Early Indians Marry? An Exploration into the Marriage Rates in India Introduction T HE IMPORTANCE of marriage and family institutions in studying human behavior and social interaction is well recognized. The study of marriage in any population is also of immense importance due to its strong association with social, economic and demographic changes in the population. The term marriage is used here to refer to the legal union of persons of opposite sex and the legality of the union may be established by civil, religious, or other means as recognized by the laws of each country. Marriage, like any other social phenomenon, may be studied from a variety of research perspectives. Once the phenomenon has been acceptably defined, it may be analyzed descriptively or analytically. It may be treated in the aggregate level or at the individual level. Its determinants and consequences may be probed and different causal/explanatory models can be tried to study the phenomenon. Such diverse research approaches are both legitimate and necessary to gain insight into a social phenomenon as complex as marriage. In this context, the phenomenon of marriage has attracted a wide range of scholars, notably sociologists, anthropologists, demographers, economists and psychologists. In the social context, marriage has a vital role and place across different cultures and societies. It varies from marriage practices and ceremonies, forms of marriage, marriage payments and gifts, inheritances and residential rules, kinship organization, mate selection * Doctoral Fellow, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400 088. Email: aparna.mukhopadhyae@gmail.com **Retired Professor, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400088. Email: sulabhap@rediffmail.com ***Professor, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400088. Email: tvsekher@gmail.com **** Doctoral Fellow, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-400088. Email: rajverma_bhu@yahoo.co.in